WHAT LED TO THE TPLF REBELLION: THE RISE OF WEYANE UPRISING ─ PART TWO

By Professor Kinfe Abraham President, Ethiopian International Institute for Peace and Development (EIIPD) and President, HADAD One of the unfortunate outcomes of the policy of alienation of nations and nationalities was the Weyane revolt that took place in Tigray immediately after the return of the Emperor from exile. The Weyane uprising was ignited by many factors. These included the general insecurity which prevailed in the post-liberation years which was aided by a large quantity of arms left by the Italians, which stimulated brigandage. Prof. Kinfe Abraham Factors Which Promoted the Weyane II (TPLF) Rebellion The brigandage was promoted into a nationalist rebellion because of the usual actions of centerist domination which were aimed to cow down the region. The most obvious symptoms of the officially sanctioned arbitrariness were the high incidence of inefficiency and corruption, and the callousness and rapacity of the Territorial Army. To the above may be added the ill-advised policy of the imperial government, which unleashed a cruel campaign of retribution against the Raya Azebo and lowland Afars in the same way as in the 1920s. Another factor was that the government had underestimated the disgruntlement of the nobility of Tigray, a section of which it had rudely and crudely alienated.

WHAT LED TO THE TPLF REBELLION: THE RISE OF WEYANE UPRISING I ─ PART ONE

By Professor Kinfe Abraham President, Ethiopian International Institute for Peace and Development (EIIPD) and President, HADAD It was in the Tigray country that, during the first seven centuries AD, the kingdom of Aksum reached heights of civilisation never again attained in Ethiopian history. Because of the antiquity of their region and the glory of their past, the Tigreans are to some extent the cultural aristocrats of Ethiopia. Donald Levine The Northern region of Ethiopia comprising Eritrea and Tigray has always been both the soft belly and the front line of Ethiopian defence. Attacks that have undermined the sovereignty of Ethiopia in the past, from the times of Yohannes and Menelik to Haile Selassie, have mainly come from the north. Even now the strongest of the national movements are in the north.

Rough Guides Names Top 10 Countries To Visit In 2014 and Ethiopia Wins

Ethiopia has been named as Rough Guides’ number one country to visit in 2014, beating the likes of Madagascar, Brazil and Turkey. EXCERPT FROM RCI VENTURES JAN 05, 2014 12:00 PM Ethiopia has been named as Rough Guides’ number one country to visit in 2014, beating the likes of Madagascar, Brazil and Turkey. The world-renowned travel guide range said: “This culturally rich East African nation has always been an enticing destination, and though it remains poor, independent travel around the country is becoming easier thanks to a boom in small hotels and restaurants. From Skift: Rough Guides’ top 10 countries to visit in 2014 are: 1. Ethiopia 2. Madagaskar 3. Brazil 4. Turkey 5. Georgia 6. Rwanda 7. Japan 8. Bulgaria 9. Macedonia 10. The Philippines Rough Guides’ top 10 cities to visit in 2014 are: 1. Rio de Janeiro 2. Sarajevo 3. Liverpool 4. Umea (Sweden) 5. Lviv (Ukraine) 6. Marseille 7. Almaty (Kazakhstan) 8. Rotterdam 9. Glasgow 10. Portland READ THE COMPLETE STORY http://www.rciventures.com/ethiopia-named-rough-guides-number-one-for-2014/

South Sudan peace talks begin in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, peace talks between the South Sudanese government and rebels loyal to former vice president, Riek Machar, aimed at ending violence in the country have finally started. Officials said on Monday that the peace talks, brokered by the East African regional bloc, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), had officially started, after days of struggling to agree on a ceasefire. "They have begun," Ethiopian government spokesman, Getachew Reda, said on Monday. The announcement comes shortly after both sides said the talks had stalled over a disagreement on the agenda. Earlier, an Ethiopian official speaking on the condition of anonymity had also said that more procedural groundwork was needed before talks could be held between the two sides. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing was also trying to help the two sides reach an agreement, adding, "China is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, so we are paying close attention to the evolving situation in South Sudan. We have been making mediation efforts." Talks are currently being held between South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir, in the South Sudanese capital, Juba. Bashir has called for an immediate end to the ongoing violence in South Sudan. Clashes continue between government forces and rebels over the oil-producing Unity and Upper Nile states as well as Jonglei state. The recent fighting between troops loyal to Kiir and Machar erupted around Juba on December 15, 2013, after the former accused the latter of attempting to stage a military coup. SZH/SS

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Rebels in South Sudan are forcibly recruiting civilians to march on the capital, the military said, even as representatives of the warring factions gathered in neighboring Ethiopia on Thursday for the start of peace talks. The fighting underscored the challenge facing African mediators as they try to nudge two rivals —President Salva Kiir and ousted Vice President Riek Machar —toward the negotiating table after more than two weeks of bloody violence in the world’s newest country.